


One Day at a Time

by DuendeJunior



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Domestic Fluff, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-05
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-07-12 08:06:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7093600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DuendeJunior/pseuds/DuendeJunior
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sasuke's still not used to the feeling of a pillow under his head.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Day at a Time

**Author's Note:**

> I was looking at my gdrive folders for a Twitter meme and found this one from last year. After cleaning it up, I think I still like it (miracle of miracles). And by "canon divergence" I mean "ignore chapters 699 and 700".
> 
> Sorry about the possible misuse of commas.

Sasuke's still not used to the feeling of a fluffy pillow under his head.

He hasn't left the village since the end of the war, confined first to a hospital bed in Konoha and then to a bed at Naruto's newly reformed apartment, but he still wakes up confused when his hand touches what should be a rough bundle of clothes or cold, hard ground and finds soft surroundings instead.

One day at a time, Sakura said to him during one of her visits to his secluded room - one Naruto had arranged for him. He'd get used to being back as time progressed, and the Hokage might even send him on outside missions if the need to sleep on the ground did not subside after a while. Not on that day or the day after, but he could walk towards that moment.

She had tried to make it sound like a lighthearted quip, but her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.

He had been too tired to say anything, but either way she hadn't been anything other than gentle with him. He knows he owes her a "thank you" - Naruto would insist he do it personally; the man doesn't believe in sending proxies or shadow clones to do those things. He saves it for a day in the future, after finding the adequate words and mastering the art of getting dressed by himself again.

(Sasuke owes her many, many, _many_ things. It’s a debt he doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to repay in full.)

Other things are more familiar - being the center of attention every time he has to leave the apartment, for example. It's not the mostly positive attention he experienced when he was younger, but he doesn't find in himself to care. It had been his plan right before the battle against Madara to bear the hate of all villages in order to cleanse the ninja world of it, taking it all to his own grave along with the bijuu; he had expected to be reviled. The actual situation just leaves him a little annoyed, with ex-teachers having faith in him just because Naruto said so and people blatantly staring at his prosthetic arm. At least mild irritation is a feeling he knows.

And, as always, there is Naruto.

Naruto, who's still not the Hokage, but undertook both genin and jounin tests in two weeks to advance to a more suitable rank for a war hero and future candidate for the post of leader of the village. Naruto, who complains about needing to hold chopsticks with his left hand because his prosthetic arm hasn't been delivered by Tsunade yet. Naruto who, according to what Sakura had told Sasuke, convinced the whole ninja world that whatever the future holds for them is going to be more amazing than whatever dream they were having inside Madara's genjutsu.

Naruto, who's sleeping next to Sasuke on a bed that didn't seem to be big enough for the both of them and yet it is.

He occupies more space in the bed than he should, and Sasuke is sure he'll be complaining about a crick on his neck later, but he's there, peaceful and solid. Sasuke could close his eyes again and sleep for the rest of the day, but he cannot stop looking at Naruto. Their schedules haven't been matching of late, so it's a rare treat to see him that close at such a time in the morning.

It's a warm sort of intimacy that should throw him off balance even more than the pillows - or still being alive in general -, but somehow doesn't.

Naruto stirs in his sleep, stretches like a big cat,. then turns to the side and faces Sasuke.

"'Morning, teme", he says. "Spent the whole night staring at me again?"

"Not this time", Sasuke answers, and Naruto's sleepy " _I knew it_ " grin feels enderaring instead of annoying. "I think I just woke up once this time."

"Good to know."

"I might have slept undisturbed for once if you hadn't decided 3 AM was an acceptable hour to eat ramen and dropped your bowl, you know."

Naruto scowls at him.

"I can't control when and where I get hungry, ok." He pauses, and bites a lip. "But still. It's good to know."

With Sakura, Sasuke’s sure it'll take a long time until he finds the words to convey everything he needs to tell her. With Naruto, he suspects he'll never find them all.

But maybe he can begin with small steps. One day at a time, he mouths to himself.

“What?”, Naruto asks. Sasuke leans closer to him, their noses touching.

"It's just... Thank you."

Naruto reaches out and touches his arm, a small laugh leaving his lips. His fingers trace down to Sasuke's hands and play with his fingers.

"I feel like I'm looking like a smitten idiot."

"It looks nice in you. Better than just idiot, at least."

Naruto's hand leave his for a second to give him a light poke on the chest.

"Shut up. You have the same look on your face, you know."

"I caught it from you", Sasuke replies, holding back a grin. Naruto presses his body against him, his voice a mix of indignance and affection, and he thinks they'll fall off the bed in no time.

He doesn't want to be anywhere else in the world.


End file.
